St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-05
NEWSPAPER sYNDICATEs.
Origin of the Establishment of
Bureaus for Supplying Cheap
T,iteratura


Bureaus for Supplying Cheap
Literature.
Of late years it has been generally
recognized that, owing to the rapid de-
velopment of the daily press, local and
general news only will not keep up the
circulation of weekly newspaper, and
consequently each year sees greater
number of progressive journals moving
with the times and uSurping the posi-
sltion of the magazines, by inserting
serial stories and the like. Notwith-
standing the frequent announcements
one sees in local newspapers, to the ef-
feet that Miss BraddOn SAY is specially
writing for our columns new serial
story, it must be evident to the major
ity of readers that scarcely any prOvin-
cial weekly newspaper could afford to
pay for the exclusive rights of newSpa-
per publication of novel by a popular
writer.
Mr.. Tillotson (of the firm of Messrs.
Tillotson & Son. of BOltOn) was the first
to suggest the plan of newspaper syndi-
Gates for the purpose of buying novels
by popular authors. The first novel
thus purchased was by the pen of Miss
Braddon, and the price paid for 1t was
ESQ. This was nearly twenty years
ago, and we believe that since then
first been published in this way-Of
course, at very much higher prices.
MeSSrs. TillotsOn now publish seven or
eight novels by well-known writers
every year.
For the rights of publication of
story by Miss BraddOn an ordinary
weekly newspaper has now to pay Els,
while for story by Walter Besant EGO
is asked from each newspaper. a novel
from the pen of James Payn or Wilkie
Collins can probably command nearly as
much. In exceptional cases, where the
newspaper rights are required for large
districts. even more than this has to be
paid. The lowest price we have seen
quoted for story Is one shilling
column; but as this was from the pen
of an unknown writer, and would prob
ably appear in about twenty newSpa-
perS, even this rate for first publication
compares favOrably with the remunera-
ton given to writer's in boys journals.
In these papers five Shillings per column
is considered very good pay. and then it
should be remembered that most of the
stories written for boys are not pub
iiShed in volume form.
Readers of newspapers are great gain
ers by the syndicate system. To nov
efistS, also. it is great boon. Take the
case of w. Clark Russell, for example.
According to an American newspaper
when he writes novel, he sells the
right of publication to some syndicate,
the right of book production to one of
the best English publishing firms, then
he gets a large price for the serial
rights in the United States. A Canada
form, and in Australia the rights of
both book and serial publication bring
him in money.
James Payn gives an illustration of
the syndicate system: "a novel" he
says. lis published in serial form by a
syndicate of eight or ten provincial
newspapers, the issues of which y
have an average circulation of fifteen
thousand. The novel simultaneously
appears in America and Australia.
This gives at least three hundred thou
sand buyers, but it is calculated
that the readers of the popular novelist
of to-day may literally be read by mil
lions. Moreover, this does not include
the readers of the various editions of the
book Itself, nor of its TRANSACTIONS.
Other literary wOrk-Such as London
letters, ladies' columns, articles oil
1dEillluS dlll lIlc Dhc-lS also us
tributed' by the syndicate system; and
one lady in London, who writes a
column weekly on fashions and subjects
of interest to ladies, makes very good
income, owing to the fact that her
article appears coincidently in good
ness knows how many papers. Much of
the London correspondence for proyin-
cial weekly newspapers is paid for at
very low rate-SO low, indeed, that
bricklaying is much more renumerative,
unless writers are sin the swim" and
have good connection.
Syndicates are occasionally formed at
war times for the purpose of sending
capable correspondent TO the seat of
operations, but this, Oh c0drSe, is only
done in the case OF daily newspapers
which are not able to afford the great
expense of sending CORRESPONDENT on
their own account. During the cam
paign in Egypt some of the most bril-
liant and graphic sketches of the oper-
ations were sent to syndicate formed
under these circumstances.
7 Z oh